Ex-champion Vito Antuofermo was inspired by Rocky Marciano

The native of Italy and former world middleweight champion, who twice fought Brockton-based Marvelous Marvin Hagler, said the story of Marciano helped propel him in the sport of boxing.

By Jim Fenton

The Enterprise, Brockton, MA

By Jim Fenton

Posted Sep. 24, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Sep 24, 2012 at 6:14 AM

By Jim Fenton

Posted Sep. 24, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Sep 24, 2012 at 6:14 AM

BROCKTON

» Social News

He was born in a small town in Italy four months after Rocky Marciano became the world heavyweight champion.

As Vito Antuofermo grew up in Palo del Colle during the 1950s and 1960s, he said he knew very little about the famous Italian-American athlete.

Then, at the age of 17, Antuofermo and his family moved to New York City, and following a street altercation, a police officer brought him to the Sweeney Center in Brooklyn to box in the Police Athletic League rather than arrest him.

The more Antuofermo got involved as an amateur boxer in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the more he wanted to learn about that Italian hero called the Brockton Blockbuster.

“That’s the reason I found out about Rocky,’’ recalled Antuofermo. “When I started reading about him, there was something there that gave me inspiration to really fight.

“Then I won the Golden Gloves in New York in 1970 and 1971, and the inspiration was Rocky. Up to that point, I didn’t know anything about Rocky. He really inspired me to go to the gym more and keep getting better and better.’’

Antuofermo went from a teen-age fighter with no experience to the world middleweight champion, winning the title against Hugo Pastor Corro on June 30, 1979 and then losing it on March 16, 1980 to Alan Minter.

He went 50-7-2 with 21 knockouts in a career that went from 1971-1985 and featured a pair of championship bouts against Brockton-based Marvelous Marvin Hagler.

The 59-year-old Antuofermo, who now owns a landscaping company on Long Island, has a definite connection to Brockton, so he was happy to be on hand at Marciano Stadium on Sunday afternoon for the unveiling of a statue in honor of Marciano.

“It was nice,’’ he said after the ceremony. “It was great for Rocky. If I would go back to my hometown in Italy, this reception would happen to me. My town is 60,000, smaller than this, and the last time I was there was 20 years ago. It’s great when this happens in a city the size of this one.’’

The 5-foot-8 Antuofermo, who chatted with Hagler’s mother, Mae Lang, during the festivities, said he tried to pattern his style as a fighter after Marciano.

He was not afraid to get inside and mix it up, going toe-to-toe whenever the situation presented itself.

The sight of a bloodied Antuofermo was not uncommon in his fights.

Antuofermo was the reigning champion who gave Hagler a shot at the title, and one judge scored the bout for Antuofermo, one for Hagler and one had it even.

In the rematch less than two years later when Hagler was the champ, the fight was stopped after four rounds at the old Boston Garden. Antuofermo was cut in the early minutes and was knocked down in the third round.

Page 2 of 2 - “I fought like him,” said Antuofermo of Marciano. “I was always inside. I wish I could have had half of the punch he did. I wasn’t a big puncher, but I used to fight like him.

“I was always going in like he did. That was the inspiration I got from him. But punching power, you have it or don’t have it. You can’t build that. That is something I didn’t have naturally like Rocky did.

“What I had was, I had a heart and stamina like Rocky. I came out swinging and did so right to the end.

“I’m telling you, if I had his punching power, I’d probably still be champion at almost 60! I swear to God. Nobody every hurt me in the ring. Nobody.’’